Notification Settings
Set up automated customer emails and SMS*
The Notification Settings screen allows you to configure four different types of customer notifications, they are:
Rental End (i.e. Return Reminder)
Rental Start
After-Rental Message
Rental Created (not automated but can be sent via the menu buttons on Rental Detail screen)
For each of these events, one or both of the following notification types can be configured, for each Delivery Method:
Email
SMS (only in supported countries)
Notification Types and common uses
Rental End (Return Reminder)
Rental End Date
...reminding customers that their return is due
Rental Start
Rental Start Date
...reminding customers their rental is coming up, providing care instructions for the product, providing instructions for faults or issues upon delivery, other marketing opportunities (e.g. upsells, etc)
After-Rental Message
Rental End Date
...thanking customers for their rental, requesting a review, providing an offer on a future rental.
New Rental
N/A
...manually sending customers a confirmation of rental details, when the rental is not linked to a Shopify Order, and they won't be receiving the Shopify order confirmation email.
Notification Form Fields
You can configure a different notification for each combination of trigger event, delivery method and type (email/SMS).
Select the tab related to the combination you are wanting to add/edit, then complete the following fields.
Activate this notification
Tick this checkbox to activate the selected automated notification.
Days offset
The number of days before or after the trigger event date to send the notification. For example, if the trigger event is the "Rental End", then the setting will determine how many days before or after the rental end date the notification should be sent. Set it to zero to send the notification ON the trigger event date.
Send time
The approximate time of day to send the notification. This time is specific to the timezone selected for your store in the Product Rentals Pro Store Settings screen. The actual notification will be sent within 0 to 20 minutes of this time.
Notification Template
The Notification Template is the main body of text sent to the customer when a notification is sent.
You can use a selection of "tokens" as placeholders within a notification template, that get replaced by real data from the rental prior to it being sent to the customer.
An example is {{customerFirstName}} - which is replaced with the first name of the customer attached to the rental.
The full list of tokens can be seen within the Notification Settings screen, by clicking the "Show Template Tokens" button beneath the Notifications Template field.
SMS Notification Templates are limited to a maximum of 200 characters. Keep in mind that tokens used within the template will make actual SMS messages more than the number of characters used in the template.
Usage charges apply for SMS sent. For tips on keeping your SMS usage costs down, see: SMS Segments and Controlling Cost
Sending Notifications from the Returns Screen
You may want to send some notifications manually, either as additional reminders to tardy customers, or upon confirmation of returned items (rather than waiting a set number of days from the rental).
On the Returns screen, if you switch to Card View, the panel on the right side of each rental card will show links to send a message by email or SMS. If the rental status is anything other than Returned, it will give you the option to send your Return Reminder message. Once you set the rental status to Returned, it will change to give you the option to send your After-Rental Message.
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